Coast guard???

okay girls - my best friend is getting married this year...i'm her moh! ANYWAYS, he man is highly considering joining the coast gaurd because it's something he's wanted for a very long time and his time is running short on the recruitment age. She's being super supportive, but worried sick which i totally understand.. she knows some stuff, but is trying to find out more about it first hand...just wondering if anyone has any PERSONAL experience..family members, (spouses??) etc.. she's looking for the good, the bad, the great & the ugly... i told her my liw ladies always have an answer lol. so PLEASE any info please let me know! or if u know any of the ladies on here who's hubby or fiance is a part of it.. thankyou so much for any info! for now we're just browsing websites

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Posted by futuremrsfab

one of my girlfriends from high school was looking into it but ended up not doing it, I will email her and see if I can find anything out.

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thankyou! any information will help...she's more concerned with if he can pick his actual division(ie: being ashore instead of having his life threated on a daily basis out on the sea lol)...etc..they both have been talking to some recruitment officers but it's hard - u don't know if they're just telling you what u want to hear... i told her i highly doubt it & that if anything i'd think they'd be brutally honest because it's such a small branch of military and they only want people who REALLY want it... but still. in the recruiting phases, they're just looking to RECRUIT. in training is when they weed through lol. she's just worried sick that they're going to make it SEEM like all peaches & cream ya know? ANYWAYS, thanks for any info u can give!

My coworkers husband is in the CG. I can ask her. She is actually working here because her husband was moved here so this is where they are based now. I think the max they stay somewhere is 4 years.

Does your friends husband want to join or go into the reserves?

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Posted by Bride908

My coworkers husband is in the CG. I can ask her. She is actually working here because her husband was moved here so this is where they are based now. I think the max they stay somewhere is 4 years.

Does your friends husband want to join or go into the reserves?

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not really sure??? i know she was telling me about the 8week recruitment academy & such..so i'm assuming that would be regular enlistment??

all i know is any type of military is shady every person i know who has been in the military within the last 8-10 years or so has said that....family included....don't know anyone in coast guard though - but if you are joining the military you have to be okay with the fact that they pretty much own you.....i know someone who disliked it so much they got out but on dishonorable mention or something to that effect, not sure exactly what its called.....i think its great for some people and i have a lot of respect for people who join and for our soldiers but i still think its shady from everything ive heard - as far as promises and stuff like that goes....

lol my girl (gina!) is sitting here with me..(i keep TELLING her to join liw for goodness sake lol)...she wants to know (if anyone knows)...

when u go into the reserves (as opposed to enlisted) are u still on the move every 2-4 years??? all the websites have so much info for the enlisted but barely anything on the reserves...it really just says the basics about it being parttime..u work 2days a month etc... and that being in the reserves usually means u work close to home...

anyone know the details?? are u still frequently re-stationed???

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Posted by jtgarsik

lol my girl (gina!) is sitting here with me..(i keep TELLING her to join liw for goodness sake lol)...she wants to know (if anyone knows)...

when u go into the reserves (as opposed to enlisted) are u still on the move every 2-4 years??? all the websites have so much info for the enlisted but barely anything on the reserves...it really just says the basics about it being parttime..u work 2days a month etc... and that being in the reserves usually means u work close to home...

anyone know the details?? are u still frequently re-stationed???

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ok....well coast guard is technically not the military...sorry to be a downer...but that is a good thing in a way. And I am not at all putting them down because God knows what they do everyday and how they risk their lives in such extrodinary ways to save others.

But for the Marines the reserves you stay in your duty station, DH just went from active duty stationed in MD, Cali, Japan, Iraq etc. to reserves where he wroks out of Garden City and can have a regular job but does 1 weekend a month working for them and 2 weeks out of the yea (usually in the summer) so if GC is anything like that I am guessing that is what the reserves would be. I know for military your duty station can change anywhere from 2-4 years being somewhere...so that might be the same as well. However, DH told me that yes they kind of tell recruites what they want to hear and make it sound nice but they will also tell them what goes into being in the Military. So I am sure the GC isn't lieing to your friend...well hopefully not. And they aren't shady. I think it takes a strong person to join the military. Just as I think it takes a strong person to join the Coast Guard.

But if I were your friend I would def be asking questions not only to the recruiters but people who are actually in the Coast Guard...maybe she can find a website where there is blogging. I know there was one for the Marines where you could talk to other wives, husbands etc. Pretty interesting and good information.

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Posted by cbcf

But if I were your friend I would def be asking questions not only to the recruiters but people who are actually in the Coast Guard...maybe she can find a website where there is blogging. I know there was one for the Marines where you could talk to other wives, husbands etc. Pretty interesting and good information.

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that's what we're doing right now...that's why i came on here! lol. we'll be googleing all afternoon lol...

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Posted by jtgarsik

ok - so nm about the reserve questions..we just called a recruiting agent...they basically said u work your own normal job, and then work for the coastgaurd closely to ur home 2days a month, and 2weeks a year...there is no re-location which is great...pretty much all the same perks as a normal enlistee without the lifetime re-location commitment... however all reserve positions in the tri-state area are closed untill further notice lol.

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haha yup...just mentioned that in my post...sorry I was probably not clear at all though . But that is what DH does now. He just re-enlisted as an active reservist...and actually is drilling this weekend (what they call their work) but comes home at night. And those 2 weeks out of the year is usually in the summer incase people are teachers they have that time off. But you go away- like they were mentioning sending DH to South Africa. But you can have a normal job and you work right where you live in that same state...it is actually very beneficial.

That stinks though that the reserves are closed right now

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Posted by jtgarsik

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Posted by cbcf

But if I were your friend I would def be asking questions not only to the recruiters but people who are actually in the Coast Guard...maybe she can find a website where there is blogging. I know there was one for the Marines where you could talk to other wives, husbands etc. Pretty interesting and good information.

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that's what we're doing right now...that's why i came on here! lol. we'll be googleing all afternoon lol...

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duh haha sorry I am a little tired today

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Posted by jtgarsik

ok - so nm about the reserve questions..we just called a recruiting agent...they basically said u work your own normal job, and then work for the coastgaurd closely to ur home 2days a month, and 2weeks a year...there is no re-location which is great...pretty much all the same perks as a normal enlistee without the lifetime re-location commitment... however all reserve positions in the tri-state area are closed untill further notice lol.

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That is exactly what the reserves are. DH was looking into, that is why I asked. Supposedly it has awesome benefits and great retirement benefits.

Enlisting is a totally different ballgame. Your pretty much owned by the coast guard which isnt to bad if your up for that lifestyle.

I thinks it 20 yrs and your out if you chose as well.

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Posted by Bride908

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Posted by jtgarsik

ok - so nm about the reserve questions..we just called a recruiting agent...they basically said u work your own normal job, and then work for the coastgaurd closely to ur home 2days a month, and 2weeks a year...there is no re-location which is great...pretty much all the same perks as a normal enlistee without the lifetime re-location commitment... however all reserve positions in the tri-state area are closed untill further notice lol.

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That is exactly what the reserves are. DH was looking into, that is why I asked. Supposedly it has awesome benefits and great retirement benefits.

Enlisting is a totally different ballgame. Your pretty much owned by the coast guard which isnt to bad if your up for that lifestyle.

I thinks it 20 yrs and your out if you chose as well.

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we actually just looked into it...you're only required 8years, which amazes me.

'The most common contracts consist of 4 years active duty and 4 years in the inactive reserve component. Three, four or six year active duty contracts may be offered in some cases.'

not too bad actually!

Sorry to crash, but one of my close friends (and BMs) husband is in the Coast Guard. He was in the full Coast Guard when we were in college and he had really no say where he was stationed (he was in NH for a while and then in NC).
He is now in the reserves. He has already spent 6 months in Cuba at Gitmo (in 2006-2007) and is now being shipped to Kuwait in June for 9 months.
He is a boat mechanic so he is never really on the front lines, but I know my friend worries a lot when he is gone. She had wanted him to not reenlist in the reserves after he went to Cuba but he did anyway and once he did he got his orders for Kuwait.

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Posted by jtgarsik

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Posted by Bride908

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Posted by jtgarsik

ok - so nm about the reserve questions..we just called a recruiting agent...they basically said u work your own normal job, and then work for the coastgaurd closely to ur home 2days a month, and 2weeks a year...there is no re-location which is great...pretty much all the same perks as a normal enlistee without the lifetime re-location commitment... however all reserve positions in the tri-state area are closed untill further notice lol.

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That is exactly what the reserves are. DH was looking into, that is why I asked. Supposedly it has awesome benefits and great retirement benefits.

Enlisting is a totally different ballgame. Your pretty much owned by the coast guard which isnt to bad if your up for that lifestyle.

I thinks it 20 yrs and your out if you chose as well.

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we actually just looked into it...you're only required 8years, which amazes me.

'The most common contracts consist of 4 years active duty and 4 years in the inactive reserve component. Three, four or six year active duty contracts may be offered in some cases.'

not too bad actually!

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I guess there all difffernt types of plans. My brother was in the marines and did 6 years. I guess its up to the person. You can choose if you want to make a career out of it.

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Posted by Dr Meg

Sorry to crash, but one of my close friends (and BMs) husband is in the Coast Guard. He was in the full Coast Guard when we were in college and he had really no say where he was stationed (he was in NH for a while and then in NC).
He is now in the reserves. He has already spent 6 months in Cuba at Gitmo (in 2006-2007) and is now being shipped to Kuwait in June for 9 months.
He is a boat mechanic so he is never really on the front lines, but I know my friend worries a lot when he is gone. She had wanted him to not reenlist in the reserves after he went to Cuba but he did anyway and once he did he got his orders for Kuwait.

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don't apologize for crashing..thankyou for this! i may fm u if i have more questions if it's alright w/u

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Posted by Dr Meg

Sorry to crash, but one of my close friends (and BMs) husband is in the Coast Guard. He was in the full Coast Guard when we were in college and he had really no say where he was stationed (he was in NH for a while and then in NC).
He is now in the reserves. He has already spent 6 months in Cuba at Gitmo (in 2006-2007) and is now being shipped to Kuwait in June for 9 months.
He is a boat mechanic so he is never really on the front lines, but I know my friend worries a lot when he is gone. She had wanted him to not reenlist in the reserves after he went to Cuba but he did anyway and once he did he got his orders for Kuwait.

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when he was away for the 6months in Cuba, did she go with him and get stationed or was this a mission and he was AWAY for 6months and she stayed here???